Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Washing your Lycra containing garments

Handle with Care

You’ve spent your hard earned money on your exercise gear like triathlon shorts or compression socks and now it’s time to put it to the test. After a grueling workout, you and your
Lycra®
containing gear are ready for a bath. By the way, Spandex is the generic Lycra®
version. Lycra® is a brand name trademarked by DuPont.

After Your Workout

As much as we hate it, we’re all drenched in sweat after a
good workout, which means our clothes are, too. If you don’t have time to wash
your clothes right after your workout, or you’re too tired like me, then hang
dry your workout clothes, making sure there are no wrinkle or overlaps. This
prevents your gear from turning into a mildew breeding ground. Gross! It also
helps prevent weird stenches from staying trapped inside your clothes.

Getting the Stink Out

The best method for remedying smelly gym clothes is to give
them a prewash. Soak your Lycra® outfits in one part vinegar, and four
parts water for at least 30 minutes before hand washing, or throwing them into
the washing machine. Rinse your clothes thoroughly before washing them to get
rid of any vinegar.

Some Dont’s to Remember

Do not mix vinegar and bleach ever! If your detergent
contains bleach rinse out your vinegar soaked clothes before throwing them in
the washer. Do not use vinegar in the rinse cycle of your washer if your
detergent contains bleach.

Do not use heat for any of your Lycra® garments. Heat will destroy the
elastic properties aka the Lycra® fibers of your outfits. Avoid the
dryer, ironing and the sun. Remember: Heat is bad.

Do not use chlorine or bleach. This will destroy the fibers
of the fabric and you will get “bag and sag” syndrome.

Do not use Fabric Softener. These are used to soften clothes
and will make sure your expensive garment will never retain its shape. Avoid
the fabric softener.

In the Wash They Go

Although it is said that hand washing is always the way to
go, most of us don’t have time for that. Don’t fret though! It is safe for your
Lycra®
garments to go into the washing machine following these steps. First, make sure
that all of your zippered garments are zipped all the way up to prevent the
zipper track from snagging onto other fabric during the washing cycle. Turn
your clothes inside out. Put delicate items into a mesh laundry bag, lingerie
bag, or pillowcase to protect them (Definitely do this for Bib Shorts).

picture courtesy of instagram

The Set-Up

If you are worried that a pre-soak just won’t cut it for
getting all the smells out, you can put some vinegar in the fabric softener
dispenser of your washer. This will make sure your washer will dispense vinegar
in the rinse cycle. Always use cold water when washing your Lycra®
garments. Heat will destroy them. Set your washer on the “Delicates” setting to
prevent damage of your clothes.

Less is More?

Use less detergent than you normally would for your Lycra®
clothes. While detergent cleans your clothes, you definitely don’t want a build
up of it on your workout clothes. A build up of detergent will trap in dead
skin cells and trap bacteria into the fabric. If you want to make sure your
clothes last, try a detergent designed for washing workout clothes.

Finishing Touches

After the washing cycle has been finished, hang your clothes
up, or lay them down flat to dry. Never put them in the dryer. Remember heat is
not friendly to Lycra® clothes. Lycra® is a fast drying fiber so your clothes
should not take too long to air dry.